HK Libraries Censor June 4 Books

Libraries have removed books related to Tiananmen Square

This year marks the 34th anniversary of the June 4th massacre, and should we be surprised that in Hong Kong, people cannot hold a candlelight vigil for the fourth consecutive year, and now they can't read about it in libraries anymore.

Practically any book or documentary related to the Tiananmen Square crackdown have been pulled from the shelves due to national security concerns.

But critics worry this is yet another sign of the city becoming closer aligned with the mainland, and that the free-flow of information for which Hong Kong was known for is fast disappearing.

Chu says the move impacts government credibility

Simon Chu Fook-keung was the former acting director of the city government's archives from 1999 to 2003. He said the censorship of books was not uncommon in many places, but to remove them from the shelves without explanation could have consequences for government credibility.

"If a government cannot even convince its people why certain books -- including those apparently non-political -- are banned, it might have difficulties in winning trust on other issues," he warned.

However, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said public libraries had well-established policies when it came to book selection. 

"I'm also sure that safeguarding national security is high on the agenda of each and every individual department and bureau," he said.

Government auditors have asked public libraries to step up efforts to root out works "manifestly contrary" to national security.

Previously Chinese media reported 149 works that dealt with the events of June 4, 1989 were available in libraries, now almost all of them are gone. 

Ma's novel is still available in the library

One of the few relevant books still on the shelves include Beijing Coma by Chinese-born, British writer Ma Jian. The English-language novel published in 2008 is censored in the mainland, but still available in five city libraries. Perhaps because it's fiction?

A 30-year-old who was interviewed by a reporter at the library and asked for anonymity because of the sensitivity of the subject, said they feared children in the future would question if the crackdown had actually happened if they could not find out about it in libraries.

Ma Ngok, a political scientist at Chinese University who specialises in local elections, said the continued removal of books would affect the city's reputation.

"Hong Kong has been known for its free access to information in the past decades. Are the ongoing moves by authorities contradicting their own goal of 'telling good Hong Kong stories'?" he said.

Sadly the crackdown on what can and can't be read in the city continues -- no one know when or if it will end. Eventually the libraries are going to be empty...